


Lighthouse, Stars, and Love

by antikytheras, hazard0us



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: M/M, Stars, Viktor with a K, lighthouse au, sailor!viktor, star talker yuuri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 17:29:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11212803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antikytheras/pseuds/antikytheras, https://archiveofourown.org/users/hazard0us/pseuds/hazard0us
Summary: For generations, the Katuski family has been able to communicate with stars through the use of their hands. They use this gift to align the stars to send messages to the sailors at night. The light from the lighthouse guides the sailors to the safety of the Katsuki island. Yuuri Katuski, the youngest member of the Katsuki family and the only living lineage, takes his duty very seriously. He enjoys what he can do and how he helps sailors and other civilains. For him, nothing can ever come before his sense of duty, but he might begin to question that after he saves a beautiful, mysterious sailor who reminds him what it feels like to live and love.





	1. Duty

**Author's Note:**

> These two chapters are part of Priya's YOI collab game, and the art work for my chapters was done by the amazing and talented DannieLn, which you can find here: https://twitter.com/DannieLn/status/875750485226999808

_“Keep this safe, Yuuri, treasure it always,” his father smiled, holding the cloak in his hands._  
_“I will,” Yuuri answered, nodding his head enthusiastically. His father laughed and ruffled his hair._  
_“Your training has gone very well, son. You’ll be able to do this when I’m gone.”_  
_Yuuri frowned, “But that won’t be for a very long time, right?”_  
_His father grinned and ruffled his hair again, “Of course.”_  


Yuuri gave a small smile, burying his nose in the soft, worn fabric of the cloak. He inhaled and for a second, he swore it smelled of his mother’s cooking and his father’s cologne. Vicchan barked, bringing him out of his daze. He was back in his room. The sound of seagulls chirping outside his window. The sun was setting casting a light glow of purple, orange, and yellow hues in his room. Vicchan barked again, the sound followed by a _pit-pat_ of small paws against wooden floors. Yuuri glanced up just in time to see his small poodle step through the door of his room, his empty bowl dangling from his mouth. He barked again, or tried to, the sound muffled by the metal bowl. Yuuri laughed, and stood up, “Come on, Vica,” he said gently, patting the top the poodle’s head. “Let’s get you some food.”

Vicchan wagged his tail and ran in a circle before leading Yuuri out of the room. Yuuri shook his head and took a step, before quickly turning and grabbing the cloak. He draped it over his shoulders, inserting the black latch into the open fold. The cloak fell smoothly over the rest of his body, and Yuuri smiled, “You would have been proud, otousan.” Vicchan barked again, and Yuuri heard a crash of metal hitting wood. Yuuri sighed then ran out of his room, Vicchan’s name falling from his mouth with a laugh.

***********

The stars twinkled and danced when Yuuri came outside. The top of the sun was still visible on the horizon. Yuuri walked to the edge of the balcony and leaned on the metal bars. He glanced up and took a deep breath.

 _“You have to raise your hands towards the sky, Yuuri,” his father said, lifting his own hands up._  
_Yuuri’s brow furrowed, “But, otosan, how will the stars know what I’m saying? They don’t have eyes to see my hands.”_  
_Yuuri’s father laughed, his whole body shaking, but before he could answer, Yuuri’s mom spoke, “It’s the gift, Yuuri.”_  
_“From our ancestors?” Yuuri asked, his eyes widening. His parents nodded. “Tell me the story again, okasan.” His mother laughed and sat down on the rocking chair by the door of the balcony._  
_“Come here, Yuuri,” she said, her arms opening. Yuuri rushed into her lap and listened attentively as his mother started telling the story of his ancestors, “A very long time ago, your great great great,” Yuuri giggled, “great, great, grandfather saved a man who looked like a human, but was greater than one…”_

“Yuuri, what are you thinking about?” The stars asked, their bodies flaring. Yuuri raised his head, not having realized he had put his head in his hands and lifted his arms.  
“I’m just remembering my parents,” Yuuri replied, the stars twinkled in understanding and in nostalgia. Yuuri’s father was the best star-talker his family had ever had. Yuuri had quite a reputation to uphold.

“You’re great, Yuuri,” the Northern star assured him and Yuuri smiled.

“Are you ready to guide some boats?” The star-clutter, Orion, questioned. Yuuri laughed and moved his fingers. He put his hands down and turned to Vicchan who had finally finished his meal and came out to the balcony.

“Alright, boy,” Yuuri started, walking over to the door that leads up to the lighthouse, “Let’s do this.”

Ten minutes later, the stars were alive with the message Yuuri had sent out, warning the sailors of the strong winds coming from the north, the light storm in the east, and the migration of the whales in the west. The light from the lighthouse shined brightly as it turned, inviting lost sailors to follow it to safety. Vicchan stood proudly at the edge of the balcony, ready to alert Yuuri if he saw any strays and people in need of help. Yuuri sat down next to him, his legs dangling off the edge of the balcony and sighed happily.

His job was hard and it was tiring, but he enjoyed it. He loved it so much. This sense of duty was everything to him. He enjoyed the company of the stars and the connection it gave him to his parents and his ancestors. He could never imagine doing anything else, much less leaving this place. His home. His sanctuary. Vicchan barked and Yuuri pulled out his telescope. A small ship boarding three people was nearing the shore of the lighthouse. They seemed to be wet, their clothes clinging to them and drooping awkwardly in certain places, but otherwise unharmed.

Yuuri smiled and turned to his poodle, “Let’s get to work.”


	2. Vicchan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A strong and heavy storm hits the Katsuki island hard one night, and Yuuri's worried about how much damage and lost sailors it will bring.

_Two Weeks Later- Saturday_

“The storm is heavy tonight, eh, Yuuri?” The Northern star asked.

Yuuri nodded, his hand over his eyes trying to block out the wind and water coming at him. Vicchan barked and Yuuri wrapped his cloak tighter around him.

“The fabric won’t get wet?” A new star asked him. Yuuri wasn’t yet sure what to name him, but for now he referred to him as _ko_.

“No, _ko_ , the fabric is special. It repels rain, snow, hail, anything you can think of. The creatures who made this for my family made sure that nothing could destroy it. A lighthouse keeper has to always be prepared and never let any obstacle get in his way,” Yuuri answered, a proud smile appearing on his face as the ko danced in excitement and awe.

“Whoa, that’s amazing, Yuuri!” _Ko_ said, the ends of it gleaming. The other stars seemed to laugh and the happiness radiating from them made Yuuri happy. The cloak around his shoulders began to shine, star after star appearing on it. Yuuri glanced down and took a moment to appreciate its magnificent beauty.

“You’re glowing again, Yuuri,” The Northern star shined.

“I’m happy,” Yuuri laughed, the wind picking up and spraying wet kisses all over his face. His hair was matted against his forehead and he got chills from the wind hitting his face. But although his face was cold, the rest of his body was warm under the cloak. He flipped the hood of his cloak up and over his head. The cloth instantly warming his face. Yuuri let out a breath of air and rubbed his hands together, then reached for his telescope. The light of the lighthouse shone through the hard rain, but Yuuri was still worried about the roughness of the waves and the harshness of the wind. There were either going to be a lot of shipwrecked boats and overboard passengers tonight or just angry waves hitting the shore and a whole lot of messages and signals from stranded and lost boats tomorrow. Yuuri sighed. It was going to be a long week.

“What’s wrong, Yuuri?” _Ko_ asked.

Yuuri raised his hands and wriggled his fingers, “There’s a lot of storms brewing this week, and I’m worried about all the shipwrecks and scared sailors we’re going to get on the island. Phichit and Leo will have their hands full down in town.”

“Yes,” Orion glistens, “The storms coming are going to be the worst we’ve seen in awhile from what you’ve told us, Yuuri.”

“The winds are going to be strong, too, and the rain will be hard like balls of hail falling,” Ursa Major adds.

“Especially on Wednesday,” the Northern Star said. “Yuuri, you must not forget to warn the sailors about the storm on that day. Unless you communicate to us, you know we won’t be able to align the message for them.”

“Right of course, I won-” Yuuri’s words are interrupted by an urgent barking coming from Vicchan on the other side of the balcony. “Vicca, what’s wrong?” Yuuri rushed to his dog and raised his telescope to his eye. The rain was coming down hard, making the image hard to distinguish, but Yuuri could see the faint silhouettes of two people struggling to bring a small boat to shore. He looked over the small boat quickly, only able to make out what seemed like a lump sitting in the middle of it. _Why don’t they just leave the boat?_ Yuuri wondered, still looking through the telescope.

“Yuuri!” _Ko_ gleamed, “There’s more people on the boat they’re hauling!”

Yuuri squinted and adjusted the lens on his telescope until he could finally see something resembling a person on the boat, but something was off.

“Yuuri, get down there, now!” The Northern Star radiated. Yuuri snapped out of his daze and nodded.

“Let’s go, Vicca!” He said, but the dog was already ahead of him, his usually curly hair straight and matted against his body. Yuuri ran after him, careful not to slip on the metal stairs. They made it to the edge of the shore and Yuuri raised his hands, waving a flashlight. Yuuri could see two people struggling to pull the boat with a rope. Why didn’t they just let it go? Yuuri could see the whole on the side that let water in, and the broken boards around the top. Why were they trying to save it? Yuuri dropped one of the flash lights and took out his telescope.

“ _Shit_ ,” Yuuri muttered and dropped his telescope and the flashlight, and ran into the water.

“Over here, please,” a deep and haggard voice said. “Help us!”

“I’m coming, hold on,” Yuuri yelled, his legs pushing against the current. Vicca barked from somewhere behind him, “Vicca! Stay! Do not come into the water!” He turned to glance at his poodle, who barked in response, but continued to pace, not liking that he had to wait on the short instead of helping Yuuri.

 _I know, Vicca_ , Yuuri thought. Usually he’d be out in the water helping Yuuri, but the currents were too strong. They could easily throw Vicca and carry him away.

“Are any of you hurt?” Yuuri questioned.  
  
“No, no, we’re fine, just please. The wind is too strong and the baby doesn’t have anything but the blanket!” The other man said.

“ _Please_ ,” the woman on the boat groaned, clutching the baby close to her chest.

Yuuri didn’t respond and just pushed harder against the waves until he finally made it to the boat. “Can you walk?” Yuuri asked the woman in the boat. She shook her head.

“She has a prosthetic leg. It won’t hold against these currents,” one of the men said. Yuuri nodded in understanding. That’s why they wouldn’t leave the boat.

“Okay, then,” Yuuri shouted, because the wind was getting stronger and the waves were getting crazier. He reached for the rope and pulled. “Listen to me,” Yuuri shouted, “It doesn’t matter where we end up, but we need to get to shore. It’ll be easier if we go diagonal-wise,” he finished, his hand raised. The men nodded and shifted their weight and started walking in the direction Yuuri had pointed out. Yuuri led them, the waves hitting their legs from the side now instead of straight-on, which made it easier to walk, but not by much.

Yuuri pulled, the rope was slippery and so he had to hold on tighter than he had ever held onto something before. He pulled and he trudged, the sand soft under the water letting his foot sink into it easily, which did not help them. After a few minutes of this, and with not much progress, Yuuri stopped. He turned and saw the water in the boat was almost to the woman’s chest, she had to raise the baby higher up on her body. Yuuri clicked his tongue between his teeth and reached for the latch on his cloak. It would just be easier to carry to woman and he child to safety than trying to drag the flooding boat.

“Yuuri, watch out!” Orion glowed.

Yuuri glanced up and in an instant was hit with a wave, so hard that it knocked him down. He heard the two men behind him curse, but what set his blood on fire was the high-pitch scream that came from the woman. “My baby!” She shouted, “My baby!” Yuuri stood up quickly, coughing and spluttering water everywhere. His eyes stung and his throat burned. His eyes scanned the water as the men helped hold the woman up.

“Here,” Yuuri yelled, taking his cloak off and placing it around the shoulders of the woman.

“”What’s that?” One of the man shouted, pointing at something to Yuuri’s right. Yuuri turned and squinted, the rain blurrying his vision. He put his hand over his eyes and squinted harder. He could make out a little blob bobbing up and down in the heavy currents. Yuuri’s stomach sank.

“VICCA NO!” Yuuri shouted, his voice was drowned out by the thunder crashing behind him and the wind whirling around them. Yuuri fought against the waves in the direct Vicca was going. His steps were faster, a spike of adrenaline flowing through his blood. When he finally got to his poodle, the dog was nudging a bundle of wet blankets with his nose towards him. Yuuri smiled, “Good boy,” he shouted and patted the top of his poodle’s head. He grabbed the bundle and was relieved to see the baby crying and spluttering. He held the baby close and patted his back. He turned and started trudging back to the shore where the men and woman had already reached. The woman was leaning against the bigger man, but her head was up and she was alert. When her eyes meet Yuuri’s, her body sagged, relieved.

“Alright, Vicca, let’s get back to-” lightning, thunder, crash, another wave crashed against Yuuri’s body. Yuuri tensed and stood firmly against the current, the baby crying loudly in his arms. “Sh, sh, it’s alright,” he cooed after the wave passed. “We’re almost to the shore. You’ll be with your mommy soon.” The baby stopped screaming, but continued to whimper in his arms. He took one step towards the shore, his foot sinking into the sand, his pants clinging to his legs and adding dead-weight.

“We’re coming!” One of the men shouted from the beach, one foot already in the water.

“No!” Yuuri shouted. “Don’t come into the water. The current is stronger. Just wait for me at the edge.” The man seemed to hesitate, but as strong wind almost pushed him back, he begrudgingly relented and stepped back onto the shore. Yuuri sighed in relief, “Come on, Vicca. Let’s-, Vicca? Vicca!” Yuuri scanned the water quickly, once, twice, but still no sight of his poodle. It was Yuuri’s turn to hesitate. He glanced down at the murky water trying to imprison him, and felt the wind’s harsh fingers wrap around his body. Yuuri knew what he had to do. He didn’t want to, but his duty came first.

He reached the shore minutes later, a brief sense of warmness filling his body as the mother thanked him over and over again, hugging her baby close to her. Yuuri turned at the sound of his name and saw Phichit with a rescue team behind him.

“Hi, Yuuri, we came as soon as we could, but this storm has caused trouble in the town, too,” Phichit apologized, placing a towel over his shoulders. “Where’s your cloak? And where’s Vic-”

Yuuri and Phichit’s heads snapped towards the ocean at the sound of a dog’s whine. “Vicca!” Yuuri shouted, the tide had picked up and the winds were stronger. The storm was hitting its peak, but Yuuri didn’t care. He didn’t even think about the possibility of any danger, the only thing he could think about was Vicca struggling to stay afloat. Struggling not to drown.

Yuuri was screaming. He wasn’t sure what he was screaming, maybe it was Vicchan’s name, maybe it was something else. He couldn’t reach the ocean. Phichit had his arms around his waist and was holding him back. Yuuri was looking towards the ocean, but couldn’t find the little blob he knew so well.

********

_Three Days Later_

Yuuri sat on the edge of the lighthouse’s balcony. His feet dangling, his forehead pressed against the cold metal bars, Vicchan's navy blue collar held tightly in his hands.

“Yuuri,” _Ko_ shimmered, “Please talk to us.”

“Yuuri, it’s going to be okay. We’re here for you, and your friends from the village, too,” Orion gleamed.

“Yuuri, please,” the Northern star pleaded, its ends twinkling.

Yuuri ignored all of them. He just sat there, his eyes scanning the now calm waters of the ocean. It took the storm over two hours to pass. Phichit and Leo had to hold Yuuri back to keep him from running into the water. It was almost two in the morning when they finally let Yuuri go, and he ran, faster than he ever ran before, into the ocean. He spent an hour searching for Vicca, but the only thing he could find was the dark blue collar his dad had given him for his birthday just a month before he passed away. Yuuri felt his heart stop and his legs gave way. Phichit had to hold him again, but this time, Yuuri didn't fight back.

The next day, Phichit and his team found Vicca’s body. Yuuri couldn’t stop crying.

“Yuuri, talk to us,” _Ko_ begged. Yuuri couldn’t stand hearing their sounds anymore. His cloak was a dark blue, few stars shimmered, the light that usually glistened from the designs at the bottom were dim. He stood up and walked into his room. Not once turning to look back.

“Orion,” _Ko_ twinkled.

“Yes?” The constellation glimmered.

“Today is Wednesday. Isn’t there something Yuuri had to warn the sailors about?” _Ko_ asked.

“I don’t- I don’t remember,” Orion stuttered. The stars’ ends fluttered and they murmured their concerns about Yuuri and about the sailors who once again, won’t have a message to guide them to safely.


	3. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A storm has hit Viktor's boat, and now he's lost at sea. Not seeing any land in sight, and in bad shape, he has given up hope. That is, until the stars urge him to keep going because he's not the only one in need of help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written by the lovely @lunaetude. Artwork done by the talented June.

In an endless back and forth, the sea rocks him to sleep.

All around him is a vast expanse of black-on-black; the fringes of the dark skies hemmed by the billowing curls of the sea.

A single iron-wrought lantern illuminates the cold water surrounding Viktor's little boat with yellow light. The little warmth it offers is quickly snatched up by the frigid sea breeze, leaving Viktor to fend for himself in the perilous chill. But the fire is dying, and so it is time to sleep.

Time. Viktor can only guess at how late in the night it is. The days are slipping already; in this black-or-blue canvas of nothing, it's hard to remember that the hours-days-weeks even exist at all.

Numbly, he reaches for the lantern's latch and swings open the window to the fire. The warmth tempts his cold-blue skin.

"Go to sleep," he whispers, and the light twinkling out from the fallen star fades away.

Now he is alone, with only the lull of the waves to keep him company.

Viktor lies down on the sheet of cloth that has served as his bed for many, many nights. It's started to accumulate the tiny grains of salt that have piled onto his skin; crystals of mockery from the cold ocean breeze. The air seems so much colder now that the starlight no longer illuminates it.

He casts his gaze skywards. In that frigid (lonely) darkness, the stars speak to him most clearly.

Orion tuts at him. "You're still miles away from shore."

"But you're close," Ursa major coos, "you're close."

Viktor doesn't know how to respond to the stars. He was born with many gifts, but the ability to converse with entities of light has never been available to him.

So he lays back, and he listens.

"He is lonely," Lyra sings.

"Find him, quickly," urges Cepheus.

"Time, there is no time," a panicked whisper from a-star-whose-name-he-has-yet-to-figure-out.

Sometimes, Viktor wonders if the stars are shit-talking him, or the person who sent him the now-sleeping star.

It was during a meteor shower that the shooting star had fallen right into his lap, a bit like the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

He'd been watching it from the grounds of the estate, under the shade of some giant tree (cut him some slack, okay, just because Viktor can name most of the stars in the night sky doesn't mean that he's an expert arborist too) with a glass of something-cold in hand.

Of course the star had crash-landed into the drink with a plop.

Yelping, Viktor had dumped the drink out onto the lawn grass and hurriedly scooped up the faded (fizzy?) ball of light.

Viktor's no scientist, but in the Nikiforov library, there's an entire section devoted to Viktor's hobby (obsession, really) with astronomy, and he's fairly certain that for one thing, stars are much bigger and hotter and he-should-be-dead, and for another, a tiny flaming mass should have gone out in his fancy cocktail of whatever.

Yet the star still shone its muted light.

Since then, Viktor kept it with him wherever he went, a bit like a good luck charm.

'It's just you and me, buddy,' he mumbles.

The star has never once spoken to him, and still it does not speak.

So Viktor curls up on his side, watching the murmuring stars until sleep overcomes him.

When he wakes, it is dark and cold.

His fingers and toes are numbed, but the sharp chill whistling past his neck is enough to jolt him upward.

Thunder roars, loud and angry.

He looks up, searching for heavenly sanction, but dark clouds stand thick between him and the stars.

The rain falls, and it falls hard enough to bruise. Viktor swears, fastening his cloak around him and drawing the hood. It's thick enough to offer some protection, but he still winces whenever the raindrops land on his head.

He stumbles to the helm of the ship— or at least, he tries. The waves jerk his boat up, down, all around, and every footstep is a blind stroke of luck. The sea swells up beneath the boat, and it starts to tilt forward, throwing Viktor onto the lantern with a violent heave.

A strip of lightning pierces the sea. Viktor's heart hammers in his chest to the beat of roiling thunder.

Cold, unfeeling fingers aren't very good at opening latches, but desperation makes fools of intelligent men. The wave beneath the boat drums into a crescendo, rising higher and higher until Viktor's practically sitting on the lantern.

Come on, come on, please—

Click. He swings it open and grabs the star. It warms his fingers when it flares awake.

"Help me," Viktor pleads.

The star burns brighter, but still it says nothing.

Viktor closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

That's all he can do before the sea pulls him under.


End file.
